Special manhunt: Police arrest 5,000 across the country

Police have arrested around 5,000 people across the country until Tuesday during the 15-day countrywide special manhunt, sources at the police headquarters and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police confirmed to The Business Standard.

Meanwhile, the largest unit of the Bangladesh Police, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 1,012 people until Tuesday since the drive began on 1 December.     

The DMP arrested 285 persons in the last 24 hours as part of an ongoing 15-day special operation by the order of the Police Headquarters (PHQ).

DMP Media Centre's Deputy Commissioner Faruk Hossain updated the media of the operation on Tuesday.

The police said the initiative has been taken focusing on some important festive days in December, including the Victory Day.

According to the PHQ, till Monday a total 3,895 people have been arrested and more than a thousand cases have been lodged, which BNP claimed was to foil their last divisional rally to be held on 10 December.

Most of the arrestees are BNP men. 

The instructions from the PHQ came ahead of BNP's mass rally, triggering concern among party leaders as the 10 December rally in Dhaka would be the 10th and the last divisional rally of the party.

Dhaka Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Nurul Islam told The Business Standard that police started the drive immediately after receiving the instruction so that none could take any "opportunity" under the pretext of BNP's rally.

Contacted, Monjur Rahman, assistant inspector general (Media) of the PHQ, said the directives were issued so that no untoward incident takes place ahead of the Martyred Intellectuals Day and Victory Day.

"There is no specific threat… This is part of our routine operation," he added.

Earlier on 1 December, Assistant Inspector General of Police Manjur Rahman said the special operation was initiated as part of a regular practice.

In a letter signed by Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police Headquarters (Additional DIG) Hasanuzzaman, it was stated that the special operation is being conducted considering the recent incident where two militants were snatched from police custody in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (CMM Court), along with the ongoing operation to ensure safe and undisturbed celebrations of Victory Day, Christmas and New Year's eve.